\u201cDo it again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael stopped just outside the kitchen doorway, holding a bouquet of white lilies.<\/p>\n
He had wrapped up a meeting in Atlanta earlier than expected and driven to the family home in Buckhead with one thing in mind: surprising his fianc\u00e9e, Olivia, three weeks before their wedding.<\/p>\n
But Olivia wasn\u2019t going to be the one surprised.<\/p>\n
From the hallway, Michael could clearly see Sophie, the young woman who had worked in the house for nearly eight months, standing with a mop in front of a floor that already looked spotless.<\/p>\n
Olivia stood beside the marble kitchen island, holding a glass of red wine.<\/p>\n
Sophie had just finished mopping.<\/p>\n
Then Olivia slowly tipped her wrist.<\/p>\n
The wine poured across the freshly polished tile.<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t an accident.<\/p>\n
Michael saw exactly what she did.<\/p>\n
Olivia looked down at the stain and said in a calm voice that disturbed him more than anger would have:<\/p>\n
\u201cDo it again. And make sure you don\u2019t leave any streaks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie tightened both hands around the mop handle.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, ma\u2019am.\u201d<\/p>\n
No argument.<\/p>\n
No protest.<\/p>\n
Not even surprise.<\/p>\n
That was what unsettled Michael the most.<\/p>\n
It looked familiar to her.<\/p>\n
As if this had happened before.<\/p>\n
He could have walked into the kitchen right then. He could have demanded an explanation.<\/p>\n
But something made him stop.<\/p>\n
Olivia had no idea he was there.<\/p>\n
For the first time, Michael was seeing how she treated someone when she believed he wasn\u2019t watching.<\/p>\n
He quietly stepped backward and placed the flowers in a vase on a hallway table.<\/p>\n
As he did, he stared at his own hands.<\/p>\n
And thought of his mother\u2019s.<\/p>\n
Linda had cleaned houses for almost twenty years after Michael\u2019s father walked out on them. She used to come home with her fingers cracked from bleach and the smell of cleaning products clinging to her skin.<\/p>\n
She never complained.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s nothing shameful about honest work, son,\u201d she used to tell him. \u201cWhat\u2019s shameful is treating someone like they matter less because of the work they do.\u201d<\/p>\n
The memory hit him harder than he expected.<\/p>\n
That evening, Michael kept his distance from Olivia.<\/p>\n
She was too busy talking to the wedding planner to notice.<\/p>\n
The next morning, he went downstairs early.<\/p>\n
Sophie was already preparing breakfast for his grandmother, Margaret, a seventy-nine-year-old woman who had moved in with them after a bad fall.<\/p>\n
Michael watched Sophie organize her medication, warm a piece of toast exactly the way Margaret preferred because it was easier on her stomach, and pour her a glass of water.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow\u2019s Grandma doing?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n
Sophie turned, surprised.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s okay, Mr. Michael. Her knee hurts a little when she first gets up, but it usually eases after she walks around.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael frowned.<\/p>\n
He hadn\u2019t even known his grandmother woke up with pain.<\/p>\n
Sophie did.<\/p>\n
Over the next few days, he began noticing things that had always been right in front of him.<\/p>\n
Sophie left water beside Margaret\u2019s bed.<\/p>\n
She remembered which television program Margaret liked in the afternoons.<\/p>\n
She listened to the same stories from her youth without glancing at the clock.<\/p>\n
And after all that, she still cleaned bedrooms, organized laundry, and worked through the lists Olivia taped to the refrigerator every morning.<\/p>\n
One afternoon, Michael found her carrying a stack of towels.<\/p>\n
\u201cSophie, are you still taking classes?\u201d<\/p>\n
She stopped.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes. Nursing assistant training.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAt night?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat time do you normally leave here?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m supposed to finish at six, but sometimes I stay later.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStarting tomorrow, on the nights you have class, you leave at five-thirty.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know. I want to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie gave him a small smile.<\/p>\n
Michael also quietly asked the household manager to increase her pay.<\/p>\n
It didn\u2019t seem like a major change.<\/p>\n
But Olivia noticed.<\/p>\n
One evening at dinner, Michael asked Sophie how her twelve-year-old brother, Ethan, was doing. Sophie had been helping support him since their mother became ill.<\/p>\n
Olivia slowly lowered her fork.<\/p>\n
When Sophie left the room, she asked:<\/p>\n
\u201cSince when do you know so much about her personal life?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSince I started asking.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou never used to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael took a sip of water.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe I should have.\u201d<\/p>\n
Olivia smiled.<\/p>\n
Her eyes didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
After that, something shifted.<\/p>\n
Whenever guests were around, Olivia called Sophie \u201csweetheart\u201d and praised how hardworking she was.<\/p>\n
When no one important was present, her voice turned sharp.<\/p>\n
The following Monday, Olivia asked Sophie to organize the remaining wedding invitations by city.<\/p>\n
Hours later, with Michael standing nearby, Olivia acted confused.<\/p>\n
\u201cI asked you to arrange these alphabetically.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie went pale.<\/p>\n
\u201cMa\u2019am, you told me to sort them by city.\u201d<\/p>\n
Olivia gave a soft laugh.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t make things up, Sophie. Just do them again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael watched.<\/p>\n
He said nothing.<\/p>\n
Two days later, his father, Robert, mentioned something over breakfast.<\/p>\n
\u201cOlivia says Sophie has been very distracted lately. Maybe you should consider replacing her before the wedding.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael looked up.<\/p>\n
\u201cSophie?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes. Apparently she keeps making mistakes.\u201d<\/p>\n
That didn\u2019t fit with what Michael had been seeing.<\/p>\n
And then something occurred to him that made his stomach tighten.<\/p>\n
Olivia wasn\u2019t simply treating Sophie badly.<\/p>\n
She was slowly building a story about Sophie being careless and unreliable so that when the time came to fire her, everyone would assume Sophie deserved it.<\/p>\n
Michael decided not to confront Olivia yet.<\/p>\n
He wanted to be sure.<\/p>\n
First, he spoke with Margaret.<\/p>\n
\u201cGrandma, I want Sophie to focus mostly on taking care of you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Margaret removed her glasses.<\/p>\n
\u201cFinally paying attention?\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael\u2019s expression changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
She sighed.<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing you shouldn\u2019t figure out for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n
That same day, Michael hired another person to handle the heavier cleaning and reorganized the household responsibilities.<\/p>\n
Sophie would focus on Margaret\u2019s care, work fixed hours, and have enough time to get to class.<\/p>\n
When Olivia learned about it, she reacted immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy did you change Sophie\u2019s duties without talking to me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Grandma needs consistent care.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was counting on Sophie to help with the wedding.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have other staff.\u201d<\/p>\n
Olivia stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve been changing a lot of things lately.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe some things needed changing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Olivia didn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
There were ten days left before the wedding.<\/p>\n
And from that moment on, she began preparing something more serious.<\/p>\n
One afternoon, she handed Sophie the floor plan for the wedding reception.<\/p>\n
She spoke quickly, changed several instructions midway through, and mixed up where different tables were supposed to go.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes table eight go near the dance floor or by the bar?\u201d Sophie asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy the bar.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought earlier you said beside the dance floor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Olivia looked annoyed.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust do what I\u2019m telling you now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hours later, when Michael returned home, Olivia was waiting for him with the wrinkled seating plan in her hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t deal with this anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
Robert was there too.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI explained the table layout to Sophie three times, and she still got it wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie entered at that exact moment.<\/p>\n
\u201cI asked about table eight because the instructions changed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Olivia turned toward her.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a lie.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou first said it should go beside the dance floor.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI never said that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael looked from one woman to the other.<\/p>\n
He hadn\u2019t heard the original conversation.<\/p>\n
Olivia looked furious.<\/p>\n
His father was watching him, waiting for him to make a decision.<\/p>\n
And Michael made the mistake he would later struggle most to forgive himself for.<\/p>\n
\u201cSophie, maybe it would be better if you took a few days off until after the wedding.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room became completely silent.<\/p>\n
Sophie set down the linens she had been carrying.<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not firing you,\u201d Michael added. \u201cI just want to avoid more tension right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie looked directly at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve practically lived in this house for eight months. I\u2019ve taken care of your grandmother, worked for your family, and done everything I\u2019ve been asked to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael lowered his voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen if after eight months you still have to wonder which one of us is telling the truth, I think I already have my answer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie gathered her things and left.<\/p>\n
That night, Michael couldn\u2019t sleep.<\/p>\n
The next morning, he went to Margaret\u2019s room.<\/p>\n
\u201cGrandma, I need you to tell me what\u2019s really happening.\u201d<\/p>\n
Margaret studied him for several seconds.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow you\u2019re ready to hear it.\u201d<\/p>\n
And what she told him made Michael realize the spilled wine in the kitchen had not even been the worst of it.<\/p>\n
Part 3<\/p>\n
\u201cOlivia has spent months making people doubt themselves,\u201d Margaret said. \u201cShe gives one instruction and later insists she said something completely different.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael felt his stomach knot.<\/p>\n
\u201cHas she done that to you too?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe doesn\u2019t push it much with me. But I\u2019ve seen her do it to Sophie when I was nearby.\u201d<\/p>\n
Margaret set her knitting aside.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce, she told Sophie to buy white flowers for the dining room. When Sophie brought them home, Olivia told some friends she had asked for roses. Sophie apologized even though I heard the original request myself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael said nothing.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnother time, she asked Sophie to switch the curtains in one room. When you came home, Olivia complained that Sophie had moved things without permission. And whenever guests come over, she hugs her, calls her \u2018sweetheart,\u2019 and talks about her like she\u2019s practically family. The moment everyone leaves, she changes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n
Margaret looked at him sadly.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause for a long time, you didn\u2019t seem interested in seeing it.\u201d<\/p>\n
That hurt because it was true.<\/p>\n
Michael started asking questions.<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t gather the staff together.<\/p>\n
He spoke to each person separately.<\/p>\n
First, Janet, the cook.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want to cause problems for you, Mr. Michael,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou won\u2019t. I just need the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n
Janet took a breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cMiss Olivia is very kind when other people are around. But when we\u2019re alone, she\u2019s different. Once she told me to prepare dinner for six people. Ten guests showed up, and in front of her mother she said I had forgotten four of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you do?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing. What could I do?\u201d<\/p>\n
Then he spoke to Marcus, the driver.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe left me waiting outside a shopping center for nearly two hours,\u201d he said. \u201cThen she came out angry because she claimed I had been late. When I tried to show her the messages, she told me I was being disrespectful.\u201d<\/p>\n
George, the gardener, told him something almost identical.<\/p>\n
One instruction.<\/p>\n
Then denial.<\/p>\n
A mistake manufactured afterward.<\/p>\n
A public reprimand.<\/p>\n
Every one of them had stayed silent because they were afraid of losing their jobs.<\/p>\n
And none of them knew what the others had said.<\/p>\n
Michael ended up sitting alone in his office.<\/p>\n
The wedding invitations were spread across the desk.<\/p>\n
His name beside Olivia\u2019s.<\/p>\n
Michael and Olivia.<\/p>\n
For months, those words had represented a future.<\/p>\n
Now they looked like a warning.<\/p>\n
He thought of his mother.<\/p>\n
Linda had died four years earlier, but he could still hear her voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cPay attention to how someone treats people they don\u2019t need to impress. That\u2019s when you\u2019ll see who they really are.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael closed his eyes.<\/p>\n
The answer had been right in front of him since the afternoon with the wine.<\/p>\n
He had simply lacked the courage to accept it.<\/p>\n
That night, he went to find Sophie.<\/p>\n
She was temporarily staying with an aunt in Marietta.<\/p>\n
When she opened the door and saw him, she didn\u2019t smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cSophie, I came to apologize.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, I do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael didn\u2019t defend himself.<\/p>\n
He told her he had spoken to Margaret, Janet, Marcus, and George.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know what Olivia has been doing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie crossed her arms.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow you know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI should have believed you sooner.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The answer was short.<\/p>\n
That made it hurt even more.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you asked me to leave,\u201d she continued, \u201cthe worst part wasn\u2019t missing a few days of work. It was realizing Olivia had spent weeks telling everyone I was irresponsible, and when the time came, it worked.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael looked down.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re right.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t need you to come here and tell me she\u2019s a bad person. I needed someone to ask me what was happening before deciding I must have made another mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael stayed silent.<\/p>\n
There was nothing he could argue with.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t undo what I did,\u201d he finally said. \u201cBut I can make sure I don\u2019t do it again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie nodded.<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t promise to return.<\/p>\n
Michael left.<\/p>\n
The wedding was two days away.<\/p>\n
For the next forty-eight hours, Olivia believed everything had gone back to normal.<\/p>\n
Michael didn\u2019t argue.<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t yell.<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t cancel the vendors.<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t contact her family.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
And his silence made Olivia feel secure.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, more than 180 guests arrived at a luxury hotel in Atlanta.<\/p>\n
White flowers filled the ballroom.<\/p>\n
A string quartet played near the garden.<\/p>\n
The tables were arranged exactly the way Olivia wanted.<\/p>\n
Michael wore a dark suit.<\/p>\n
Olivia appeared in the wedding gown she had spent months choosing.<\/p>\n
From the outside, everything looked perfect.<\/p>\n
Until something small happened.<\/p>\n
A young waiter lost his balance near the bar.<\/p>\n
A tray filled with empty glasses crashed onto the floor.<\/p>\n
The sound made several guests turn around.<\/p>\n
Olivia walked over.<\/p>\n
She kept smiling because people were nearby.<\/p>\n
But when she thought no one important could hear her, she lowered her voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you incompetent, or what is wrong with you?\u201d<\/p>\n
The young man immediately bent down.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry, ma\u2019am.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you know how much an event like this costs? If you do something like that again, I\u2019ll make sure you never work here again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael was standing only a few feet away.<\/p>\n
He heard every word.<\/p>\n
This time, he wasn\u2019t surprised.<\/p>\n
He simply knew.<\/p>\n
Minutes later, the ceremony began.<\/p>\n
Olivia walked down the aisle between rows of guests.<\/p>\n
Her mother cried.<\/p>\n
Robert smiled from the front row.<\/p>\n
Margaret remained serious.<\/p>\n
When the time came to exchange rings, Michael held his for several seconds.<\/p>\n
Then he looked up.<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore we continue, I need to say something.\u201d<\/p>\n
The officiant froze.<\/p>\n
Olivia frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cMichael, what are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at the guests.<\/p>\n
Then at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t marry you.\u201d<\/p>\n
The entire ballroom went silent.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not going through with this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Olivia gave a nervous laugh.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t funny.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not joking.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael took a slow breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cA few weeks ago, I came home early because I wanted to surprise you. I was carrying flowers. Before I walked into the kitchen, I saw Sophie finishing the floor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Olivia\u2019s expression changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cMichael\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI also watched you deliberately pour wine onto the clean floor and tell her to mop it again.\u201d<\/p>\n
People began whispering.<\/p>\n
Olivia went pale.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re canceling our wedding because of a glass of wine?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe wine only made me start paying attention.\u201d<\/p>\n
Olivia tried to speak, but he continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter that, I discovered you had spent months giving people instructions and later denying them. You made employees look incompetent in front of others and then portrayed yourself as the patient person forced to tolerate their mistakes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not true.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI spoke to everyone separately.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now Olivia\u2019s mother looked pale too.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy grandmother. Janet. Marcus. George.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael paused.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd a few minutes ago, I heard you threaten a waiter because he dropped some glasses.\u201d<\/p>\n
Olivia clenched her jaw.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo now the staff gets to decide who you marry?\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael looked at her.<\/p>\n
That sentence destroyed the last remaining doubt.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. You decided for me every time you treated someone like they were worth less because they worked for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room went quiet again.<\/p>\n
Michael looked down at the ring in his hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mother cleaned houses for years to support me. She came home exhausted, with cracked hands, but she never let me feel ashamed of what she did.\u201d<\/p>\n
His voice broke slightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I was about to marry someone who uses that kind of work as an excuse to humiliate people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tears filled Olivia\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can talk about this privately.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe way you really treat people has always shown itself in private. That\u2019s why this ends here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michael placed the ring on the officiant\u2019s table.<\/p>\n
Then he walked away.<\/p>\n
No one applauded.<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t need them to.<\/p>\n
The silence said more than applause ever could.<\/p>\n
Days later, Michael went back to Sophie\u2019s aunt\u2019s house.<\/p>\n
This time, he wasn\u2019t asking her to forget what happened.<\/p>\n
He offered her a formal position as Margaret\u2019s care assistant, with fixed hours, appropriate pay, and financial support to complete her nursing assistant training.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not doing you a favor,\u201d Michael explained. \u201cI\u2019m offering you the conditions you should have had from the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sophie took several days to think about it before agreeing.<\/p>\n
And she set her own terms.<\/p>\n
Her hours would be respected.<\/p>\n
Her duties would be clearly defined.<\/p>\n
She would not be assigned tasks outside her role.<\/p>\n
Michael accepted every condition.<\/p>\n
Months later, Sophie completed one of the most important stages of her program.<\/p>\n
Margaret insisted on bringing flowers to the ceremony.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis time, the flowers are for someone who actually earned them,\u201d she joked.<\/p>\n
Sophie laughed.<\/p>\n
Michael did too.<\/p>\n
There was no romance.<\/p>\n
No secret relationship between the employer and the employee.<\/p>\n
Something simpler and more important happened.<\/p>\n
Sophie regained the peace of going to work without wondering what she would be falsely accused of that day.<\/p>\n
Margaret received the companionship and care she needed.<\/p>\n
And Michael finally learned a lesson that had been in front of him for years.<\/p>\n
One morning, he walked into the kitchen and found his grandmother telling the story of how she met her husband for what was probably the hundredth time.<\/p>\n
Sophie listened while drinking coffee.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve already told me this story,\u201d she said, smiling.<\/p>\n
Margaret raised an eyebrow.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen you\u2019ll know exactly where you\u2019re supposed to act surprised.\u201d<\/p>\n
All three of them laughed.<\/p>\n
Michael looked around the kitchen.<\/p>\n
It was the same room where, weeks earlier, he had watched a glass of wine spill across a perfectly clean floor.<\/p>\n
The place where he discovered that a person could spend years performing kindness and reveal their true character in a matter of seconds.<\/p>\n
Olivia had treated businesspeople, relatives, guests, and anyone whose opinion mattered to her with respect.<\/p>\n
But she had looked down on people she believed had no power over her.<\/p>\n
And that was the difference.<\/p>\n
Because respect that only appears in front of powerful people isn\u2019t respect.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n
A person\u2019s real character shows when they believe no one important is watching.<\/p>\n
And sometimes, one deliberately spilled glass of wine is enough to reveal, just in time, the person you were about to spend the rest of your life with.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cDo it again.\u201d Michael stopped just outside the kitchen doorway, holding a bouquet of white lilies. He had wrapped up a meeting in Atlanta earlier than expected and driven to … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":37275,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39714","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family","category-inspiration","category-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readingdairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39714","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readingdairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readingdairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingdairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingdairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=39714"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/readingdairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39714\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39716,"href":"https:\/\/readingdairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39714\/revisions\/39716"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingdairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/37275"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readingdairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=39714"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingdairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=39714"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingdairy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=39714"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}